Happy Holidays! Five Holiday Gifts for Data Scientists

First and foremost, the team at Canopy Labs wishes all our readers, data scientists, and customers a happy holiday season! It’s been an amazing year for Big Data, analytics, and IT — and we’re excited with where 2014 will lead.

If your data science team is anything like the ones we’ve seen, they’ve likely seen a busy 12 months. Whether they’re implementing a new data warehouse, generating models to target cross-sell opportunities, or simply updating executive-level reports, data-oriented roles are becoming more important and significantly busier. If you’re getting holiday gifts for your data science team at the end of the year, here are five we recommend for any data scientist on your list.#1: Foundation Trilogy

Sci-fi and data fans alike look to the Foundation Trilogy for inspiration — Isaac Asimov’s book covers a small planet with galactic ambitions. More importantly, it introduces the concept of Psychohistory, the use of theoretical physics and mathematics to predict what humanity will do next. Data science as it will look 20,000 years from now? Who can resist…

“A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems.” Add fuel to your data machines by providing them a range of coffee options from around the world. Pair it with biographies of Paul Erdos or Albert Renyi (great mathematicians and bigger fan of coffee) themselves, and your team will have more ambition and energy than you can handle.

Need to ensure your coffee-enabled ambition lasts for the entire year? Pop Chart Labs sells posters that speak to the heart of any scientist — they combine beautiful visualizations with interesting data. Both a source of inspiration and nerdy factoids for the water coolers (or office espresso machines).

For those who really flexed their IT muscle this year, Pebble is a programmable watch that comes with apps similar to those in phone-oriented app stores. Not only can you install a range of apps on the phone itself, but they’re programmable too — as a result, you can make your own apps, collect your own data, and customize the watch to your heart’s content.

And if a watch isn’t necessary, then a complete personal data collection solution might be up your alley. The Angel Sensor will collect a range of information about your body: pulse, blood flow, temperature, activity, and more. If your team is interested in quantified self, then this app will cover their goals.

It’s been a wonderful year, and we wish you all the best this holiday season!